30 years later and wow... talk about a glow-up! We stopped by Skyline Library while visiting the…read moreold hood and barely recognized the place!! The library has traded in its old-school look for a bigger, high-ceiling, modernized setup that's perfect for studying, reading, or pretending you're going to study while people watching. One thing that instantly brought back memories was thinking about those days when the San Diego Zoo would roll in with snakes, birds, and other critters to teach kids about wildlife. Back then, that was basically our version of a live-action nature documentary!! The library now has a spacious community meeting hall and plenty of room to spread out with a good book!! Between the upgrades and the flood of childhood memories, this visit was a fun lil trip down memory lane. Nostalgia level: checked out and renewed!!

I used to go here as a wee lad in the 90s to study and play games. Now I come here for California…read moreState Library Park Pass, which is good for 14 days. You can check online which parks it's eligible for, but I got it specifically for Torrey Pines to go hiking. It was surprisingly busy on the Friday afternoon I went. The computers were full of young kids reminded me of my childhood and people walking through the aisles. The lady at the front desk was very helpful in helping me activate my library card. I got from San Diego comic con back in 2022 an account was super easy and so was checking out this past which saved me at least $20. Don't sleep on libraries. You get a bunch of cool perks. Plus your taxes pay for it already anyway, so might as well take advantage.

Like tiny houses this small library has much to offer and the staff is wonderfully helpful too. I…read morehope it will not be located too far away when the proposed new building is erected

Honestly, I've never been in a smaller public library. However, I've never had better service…read more I've ordered books that were in other City libraries and they were transferred to the Paradise Hills branch in a day or two. I could just walk to the branch and pick them up, instead of taking a drive elsewhere. Another great service is the free use of their computers. My laptop picked up a virus and had to go to the shop for a few days, but the P.H. library satisfied my Internet fix. The staff here is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The parking lot is as petite as the library, but there is plenty of parking available along Rancho Hills Drive. Tiny libraries don't get any better than this one. There have been On again/Off again plans to build a new library on Reo Drive, replacing this little vintage gem. However, it is a budget-driven concept, and a new library does not seem likely in the near future. It would be nice, though, especially if the current staffing is retained. The staff is the secret sauce.

Customer service is always great - they're willing to help you any way they can…read more Tip: Take a photo of your library card; the scanner will still recognize it!

This is small Library located in the small East County Community of Casa de Oro. I use to visit it…read moreoften, when it was located up the street on Campo Road. The library offers Wi-Fi, a morning book club and coffee conversation time, several arts and craft for seniors and adults, story time for the little ones, and classic movie nights. One thing that I really appreciate is that they offer a after school S.T.E.A.M support team for students. The library opens at 9:30 AM and is closed on Sundays.

Great staff and great energy at this location. Organized,…read morefriendly and professional team working together with an amazing support and welcoming all of us and new members .

Worst and most rude staff of any library. They all act like they hate their job and every person…read morewho comes in. Only one guy has ever been nice, the female staff are all rude and unhelpful. I have literally never seen them smile.

Decent sized library with a good amount of books. Their children's section is pretty huge with…read moretables and busy boards on the wall. Small section of board books by the little kids table. There is another room for teens which I assume may be YA books? There's a window in the kids area that looks into the teen room. Easy to get a library card if you have a photo ID and proof of address. Self checkout for books available and also pretty easy to use. There is a small used book store that also had puzzles and board games outside for sale. We happened to come in 30 minutes before story time for the little ones (ages 1-5) and it was a lot of fun. There were so many people in there! My son had a wonderful time, thank you Rosa!

This is one of the best public libraries I've ever been to. It's been years since I've been to one,…read morebut now that I have a little one - it's the perfect place to socialize and read. My lil bookworm loves the variety of books. Weekly story time with friends is a plus. I met another frequent mom/visitor - she's been going to this library for years and told me they just renovated it. You can definitely tell once you walk in. There are restrooms and a community room for activities such as chess night. There are private quiet study rooms, a 3D printer, a kids section and more. The library is clean, very spacious and all the employees are extremely friendly.

Beautiful library, great staff, plenty of free parking. Good location, next to post office and city…read morehall. Cute (inexpensive!) bookstore.

Nice, clean, modern library with a great little Friends bookstore! I don't live in the area anymore…read more- I was just there for the book crawl - but I would go back if I was nearby.

The Central Library has easily become one of my favorite libraries to visit. I don't get down here…read moreoften since I don't live nearby, but every time I do, I make a beeline for the ninth floor. It's an incredible space dedicated to genealogy and history, making it the perfect place to dive into family research. This visit was especially meaningful because I brought family members who were visiting from out of town. As we prepare for an upcoming family reunion while also grieving the recent loss of a loved one, we were able to uncover photographs of family members we had never seen before. It was an emotional and unforgettable experience that made our visit truly special. One of the best features is that the library offers free access to genealogy resources like Ancestry Library Edition and other historical databases that have helped me piece together my family's story. I also recently learned that every Tuesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., volunteer genealogy specialists are available to help the public--for free! I'll definitely be returning during those hours because researching family history often feels like peeling back the layers of an onion. Every discovery leads to another story waiting to be told. The only downside is the parking. The library offers two hours of free covered parking, which sounds generous until you get immersed in research. Time flies when you're digging through historical records, and two hours disappears quickly. If possible, I'd recommend taking the trolley to avoid having to move your car or pay expensive parking fees--especially considering the library is just a short walk from Petco Park. You can also opt to take your car out every 2 hours ans re-park in the garage.... Ijs One thing to keep in mind is that on Padres game days, the library parking garage may close early to accommodate game-day parking. While I understand why they do it, it can be frustrating if you're planning a long research session. Overall, I highly recommend this library. Whether you're researching your family tree, looking for a peaceful place to study, or simply wanting a quiet escape from the city, the ninth floor is an absolute treasure. It's one of San Diego's best-kept secrets, and if you haven't experienced it yet, you're missing out. As always... you can thank me later.

I haven't been here for years. I recently came to bring my toddler. So we were mainly on the first…read morefloor, which is where the kids section is. It was just amazing. It is so big, with so many different sections. They have an area for young toddlers, to toddlers, to kids. I was so impressed with how much books they have. In addition to that, they have CDs, DVDs, magazines, pretty much anything you can think of. There are a couple of different areas where they can sit and learn. I do love how there were different types of seats as well, for instance, for the younger kids they have the little balanced chairs. There is lots of play area for the kids to have sensory play. They have educational computers, there was four. They have a little area for kids to play with toys and use their imagination, so many good items. There are puzzles, coloring, pages, arts and crafts. I was really blown away with how great this library is. The staff who helped me, I did not get her name, but she was so friendly and answering, and all my questions. They have so many activities also throughout the week, such as reading time and other arts and crafts that you can do amongst other peers. I am so looking forward to bringing my child here so that he can have more socialization with other kids. And mind you, this is all free, which is so amazing. I mean, obviously we have tax dollars that goes toward this. . But yeah, you can check out their schedule for what they offer for the kids. Yeah I think this is the best library so far that I've been to for the kids in San Diego. You can also park underground. Just make sure you take your parking validation upstairs so you do get the first two hours free when validated. After that, I believe it's $1.25 per hour or something like that. Which is very reasonable for downtown. Just remember if there's any events, like the baseball games or anything like that, there might be a surcharge, for example when comic con comes on as well. This is definitely a great learning spot for young children. And if you or someone you know, doesn't have the financial means to do arts and crafts, buy so many books, or have enough space to even how all of these things, this is great that this library has it all for free. I have taken my son to the little play area where we pay like $15 an hour for him to run around and it's further up in Mira Mesa. This is just another great alternative for a fraction of the cost. Sorry I just love this so much. We are definitely coming back here and also exploring as many different libraries as we can.

My new favorite library. Just a 10 minute drive from downtown, plenty of parking and much cleaner…read morethan east village. You need a separate library card but don't need to live in national city to apply. They are on Libby (for the kindle) and they have a tool lending library! Just look for what you want online, reserve, and then go in and pick it up!! Just borrowed a lawn mower!

They ask for ID or DL for the key to the bathroom because of vandalism. When I walked into the…read morebathroom it was so bad, and slippery, and no one checked the bathroom before I entered or after I returned the key, so you could be blamed for the vandalism. To replace an expired computer card, I was charged $1. I thought this was a free public library. I needed access to the study rooms. Therefore, one is essentially charged to use the study rooms.

It's a nice library and all the staff are nice. The WiFi is absolutely terrible in my opinion…read more Every time I've tried to do work there nothing works or it's incredibly slow

The location has moved since the last time I was here visiting. I really just came in for a library…read morecard to attach to my Libby account and the woman at the counter was very nice and helpful. Was surprised at how quick and easy the process turned out to be. Just need a photo ID and proof of address so if you have a California ID that's good enough! I did want to say that their events calendar for the library is really awesome. I saw there was Friday Night Magic and movie nights on there, and that was just some of the programs they offer! There's are tonnnns! PS - The door slams super loud if you just let it close!